Hannah Kaminsky's Fur Baby Furikake Recipe

Hannah Kaminsky is a recipe developer, photographer, and dog lover living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of Real Food, Really Fast, Sweet Vegan Treats, and many more cookbooks, which always include at least one treat for our four-legged friends. You can find more of her work at BitterSweetBlog.com

On the Japanese dinner table, furikake is an essential seasoning even more important than mere salt and pepper. Plain white rice becomes a crave-worthy meal with just a sprinkle, and that not even the beginning of its full-flavored potential. Toasted seaweed meets golden sesame seeds and a diverse palate of spices, depending on the blend for this savory staple. Deeply umami, lightly crunchy, and endlessly customizable to suit individual tastes, furikake deserves a place in every pantry.

Unfortunately, most commercial blends include rather unsavory ingredients like sugar, MSG, and enough salt to melt an iceberg. Humans shouldn’t consider these additions acceptable to their diets, let alone their dogs’! Starting from scratch is easy - upgrade nutrition and taste all at once.

Sea vegetables are high in iodine, a critical mineral difficult to get without supplementation. Hemp seeds add protein in spades, while sesame seeds are a calcium powerhouse. Enriched nutritional yeast adds those vital B-vitamins, and to seal the deal, parsley is both helpful for digestion and breath freshening. I think all of us, on two feet or four paws, could all benefit from these additions.

If your pup is kind enough to share, there's a universal appeal to this savory sprinkle. When my own good boy isn't looking, I'll admit to using this over freshly popped popcorn, warm sticky rice, and even baked tofu.

Wait, dog *parents* can eat this too, right!?!

Fur Baby Furikake:

What you'll need

2 Sheets Nori

1/4 Cup Hulled Hemp Seeds

2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds

2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley

To begin, you'll want to lightly toast the nori. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and set out an ungreased baking sheet. Arrange the nori in a single layer, without overlapping. Bake for just 2 minutes before checking; it should be completely dry and crumble easily. If needed, return to the oven and check again every minute or so.

Roughly crumble the toasted nori into a medium bowl. Use a spice grind if you'd like a finely, more consistent texture, or simply rub it between your fingers until you have satisfactory flakes. Add the hemp seeds, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, and parsley. Stir well to combine.

Store in an airtight container in a dry, cool place for up to 3 weeks.

Pour over food - that’s it!

Makes About 2/3 Cup.

Just scoop and pour a little over the top.

How’d it Turn Out??

Did you make Fur Baby Furikake for your favorite pup(s)? If so, we want to see it! Tag us @WildEarthPets on Instagram or Facebook so we can share all the creative and tasty ways that you treat your dog!

Luka (very much) approves!

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